The Adventures of LitBoy: Bill Brent's Blog

BETTER

"Is It Going to Get Better?"

I think that's the question that nearly everyone I know wants the answer to. And if so, then when?

Don't the banks own enough of us already? And if so / not, then how many times over, in many cases?

I am seeking a way out, up, under, around, or thru, myself. I don't really have any answers, either, other than the ones I have already written here. Lately, they boil down to two central ideas: (1) cut back on stuff we don't need (and understanding the difference between NEED and WANT is an awareness that capitalism tries virulently to dim), and (2) keep our spirits up by any means necessary (preferably via acts of compassion and generosity, when we can).

Idea #1 is almost enough to make me stop writing, at least for a spell, but idea #2 is enough to make me keep writing, at least for now.

So as of now, I'm working with idea #3: How can we make it better today -- using ideas #1 and 2? (Today I'm going to look for my sense of humor.)

What are YOUR central ideas? Truly, I'd love to hear them.

Wishing you a beautiful day,

--Bill Brent

 [this post last edited: 2011.08.06, 10:08 a.m Hawaii time]

EXPECTATIONS

What if you tried something that you weren't going to try, and it worked out beautifully? And what if it didn't work out as you'd hoped it would ... but even better than that?

Now I will use a trivial example to illustrate my big point. Read on, though -- there's a surprise ending.

I was in the supermarket this week with my friend and colleague, author Marilyn Jaye Lewis. We each had our separate purchases to pay for. I was in line first. The cashier, Kelly, told Marilyn that she was closing her register, and that Marilyn would have to find another one for checkout.

I am quite sure that Kelly was tired, if not exhausted. It was about 7 minutes to 7 p.m., the end of her workday. Yet I explained that Marilyn was with me, and could she please complete her checkout with me? Neither of us had many items. Kelly agreed, and I thanked her.

Kelly was rushed, though, so she overlooked a coupon on my $4.00 cereal package for 70 cents off. I didn't catch this until later, when Marilyn and I were unloading groceries.

And it made me think again of the hidden price of rushing, which is something I contemplate a lot, as I am a rusher in recovery.  :-D  Hey, it's a lifelong process.

So at first I shrugged it off: "Let it go." The next morning, though, "it" came back! And I understood that "it"would come back every time I opened that box of cereal. And so I went back to the store with the receipt and the unopened box of cereal, coupon still attached. 

There was no waiting at the customer service desk, and Jennifer even apologized. It was no big deal, of course, but a lot of little deals can add up to a big one. So I have learned to deal with little deals as they come up. And no, you don't always get the deal you want, but if you don't even ask, you may keep getting frustrated.

So asking for that little deal is a basic assertiveness skill. And it gives you practice at asking for the few that count for a lot all at once.

Anyway, not only did I get back the 70 cents for the coupon, but when Jennifer handed back my receipt, stapled to a new one, I got back a total of $1.45:

- 70 cents for the coupon on the package,
- a 70-cent "bonus coupon" (which was invisible, LOL!),
- and 5 cents' sales tax.

And my purchase gave Marilyn some points toward refueling her car.

And I got a few mileage points too.

So I am glad I showed up again, on my own, in my own sweet time. Trusting my judgment turned into an excellent deal -- on SO many levels. Believe me, I FULLY enjoyed that cereal!

How can you turn a loss -- big or small -- into a win? Can you do it today?

Wishing you some summer bliss,
--Bill Brent

[this page last updated: 2011.07.22, 4:20 a.m. Hawaii time] 

 

[keywords for this post:] frugality mentality, avoid frustration, assertion, ask for what you want, deal with the problem, stop rushing, follow-through, trust your judgment, package coupons, coupons on the box, shopping, supermarket, save money at the store, personal narratives, life lessons 



moving

Aloha, y'all!

Just wanted to say that this moving sale has been:

mentally exhausting,

emotionally draining,

and thoroughly exciting.

Really, does life get any better than this? :-D

It is a fantastic rush, to move the energy and see my stuff going to folks who can put it to good use. (Never mind that I'm crying just offstage about half the time, mostly whenever I see the cats.)

Plus, in case you didn't know, yard sales / garage sales are excellent networking opportunities! Even if you are leaving the area, and even if you don't think you will ever come back, it is well worth the time and effort.

In fact, rummage sales work better if you combine forces with your friends and neighbors, like I have. It only takes one big space. And we're just approaching summer, so what better time to DO IT?

For those who have asked, my own plans beyond this month are fairly indefinite. Yet now is the perfect time to get comfy with uncertainty -- after all, we're in the midst of a Depression, financial bust, economic crisis, or whatever you choose to call it. So really, what are you holding onto, and how much of it do you need in order to be satisfied?

What is in your life today that is truly worth living for?

Go ahead, make a list. Don't think about it much. Just jot down the first five items that come to mind, then put away your list. Do it again, later in the week, when you think of it. Now compare the two lists. What stays, and what changed?

What I want to do, basically, is to help other creative types set their boats on a course that works better for them, for now. So the goal is progress, not perfection (which is an illusion anyhow when it comes to subjective reality).

"Half the battle is to know what you have to offer -- and then to know that what you have to offer is valuable. The culture does not really value storytellers at this point in time." --Toni Amato, my writing coach

(Click above links for some pix of me in the carport.)

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Wishing you a beautiful day,

Bill Brent

[this page last updated: 2011.06.06, 2:00 p.m. Hawaii time | photo credits: J. Rabidoux]

on the accumulation of stuff

~ Watch Yourself ~

by Bill Brent

Watch the momentum of how problem solving creates more problems as we go about accumulating our lives. Watch how accumulation asserts its cute little head as the solution to a problem. We all tend to do this. We've been trained to do this in our culture. Got a problem? Buy a solution!

Do you tend, for instance, to suffer from "crappe creep"? (tm) Are there piles of stuff lying around your place that you haven't dealt with for a while? How about stacks of papers? Many of us are stackers.

So, as you move forward, watch the tendency to go, "Oh, I'm gonna be a musician," or "Oh, I'm gonna buy a new car, buy some land, build a house." The huger the goal, the more money it takes. The more stacks it can create.

Especially watch how your problem-solving process creates more problems.

Watch how anything that takes too much of your money creates grief for you. Going back to school in a bad economy, for instance, to retrain for a new profession, also creates new debt and obligations, and with that comes a whole new set of problems.

 

So watch out for accumulation as a solution. Spend as little money as possible, for a while, and see how that feels. How much do you really want or need to learn, for instance, in order to enjoy your life as it stands?

Watch out for the grandiose thinking of, "I'm going to start a whole new life." This is a form of ambition. It takes a heaping helping of money.

So what do you accumulate, and is it doing for you what you expected it to? Does it take more time than you really have, to engage with your stuff?

Meanwhile, how much are you willing to pay for storage, and for how long? There is no good in paying for unrealized potential if it remains unrealized.

 

So watch out for the opportunity cost of ownership:

- Even if you store something in your house for free, you may still be paying for it in terms of maintenance -- time, energy, or simply how much grunge it accumulates.

- In the case of devices, such as electronics, that "something" may stop working, or become too obsolete to be useful to you.

Try not to buy that "something" until you are truly ready to use it.

 

Anxiety is painful to watch and stressful to be around.

When you have a choice to make, can you make a choice in the direction of...

- Less stress?

- Less stuff?

- Both?

How can you solve the problem without spending money?

 

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Wishing you a beautiful day,

Bill Brent

 

[this page last updated: 2011.05.06, 10:23 a.m. Hawaii time | photo credit: Bill Brent]

 

 

SOLD: Vintage Casio, CT410v, Casiotone full sized MT400v synth

[and it's OUTTA HERE! Thanks, Mr. K, and it's on the way! My eBay alternative works! Etsy rides again, w00t! I will have more cool vintage music and bowling gear available shortly -- no admin assistant here in the far-flung reaches of Hawaii, so it's a one-man shop 'n' ship! --Bill]

I'm moving my action over to the Etsy store. First up: ~THIS FUN!~

I'll spare you my full-on rant about WHY I'm ditching eBay again, when others have already done a great job of it.

Long story, short version:

I got the rate hike memo 30 days in advance of April 19, it took me half that time to gear up, and then I sold off all the heaviest stuff first, but I have felt stressed ever since. In any case, shipping isn't free, sometimes bad things happen to nice things enroute, and it is disingenuous of eBay (and its flawed, self-serving logic) to tell us we should eat it.

eBay has raised rates in many ways for many "reasons" over the years, but this new policy represents a fundamental shift in the way that it charges sellers to list. All of which is geared toward rising oil prices and shipping rates that only ever increase.

Of the various online stores I've run to supplement my income as a poor person, Etsy has been the fairest deal for small sellers overall.

But overall, I've been opting out for some time now. (Search the "eBay alternative" tab on this blog if you're curious; I'm too tired now to code the supporting links.)

Once I vote with my feet, my head and heart do follow. It's only doubt that slows one down. And life's too sweet to grow bitter.

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Wishing you a beautiful day,

Bill Brent

[this page originally posted: 2011.05.12, 6:30 a.m. Hawaii time | updated 2011.05.23, 5:40 p.m. Hawaii time | photo credit: Bill Brent]